Give me hope...Her2+++

Mommy I am not her2+ but many of the women I converse with are and they are doing well so far......and I'm already talking years not months.

For the Her2+ BC the magic bullet is the Herceptin and that seems to be keeping those that I know stable and so far cancer free.  With being closely monitored you should do well and be around for a long time.

The fear that this disease brings with it can be unbearable but living everyday to the fullest regardless of future happenings is the best way I know how to live with it successfully.

Good luck to you.

Love n hugs.   Chrissy

I had coffee today with a friend who was diagnosed with BC half a year before me, she was Her2 positive.......and is now 7 1/2 years out with no recurrence.

Herceptin really is a miracle drug for you....they had just started giving it to lower stage ladies about a year before my friend was diagnosed, so she feels really, really lucky and blessed.....and she has more energy than anybody I know. Like for all of us, learning the diagnosis and facing the daunting challenges ahead was a horrible time, but she made it through the her treatments fine (she took a group of students to Europe between her last two Herceptin infusions!), and she is still going strong. Hang in there, once you get started it gets better, because then you are on the road to the other side; you just do it and get it over with.

Grade 3 responds best to chemo. The faster they grow, the easier for the chemo to catch them and kill them off!

Being HER2 ++ means you will most likely have Herceptin.  It has helped SO many women.  For those of you who have don't know, there is a movie called "Living Proof" about the development of Herceptin.  Not only is it informative, it is also a very good movie that stars Harry Connick, Jr..  It is available on Netflix if anybody is interested in watching it.  I actually purchased the movie a few years ago but donated it to the lending library at MDA's Rotary House in Houston.

By the way, I also was grade 3 and HER2 ++ like you.  It is nearly 6 years from my initial diagnosis and I have been NED for 4-1/2 years.

Good luck to you!

Just stick to reputable places like BCO for information or you will drive yourself crazy. It sounds like your doctor is being thorough, which is good, but I think you will feel relieved to get started; because the sooner you do, the sooner you're done. Hang in there!

You will be fine.  Do  you know what chemo you are doing?  Theres new drugs out since i was in treatment.  Really good ones. 

where do you live mommy13?  And yes perjetta for sure!!!  It seems like they give different chemos depending on where u live

well if he doesnt want to give you perjetta, go to another onc and get another opinion.  Im not sure though if its approved for use in Canada?  Any Dr you have should be willing to work with you to give you what you want.  My onc told me, the patients that researched and were involved in there treatment plans had the best outcome!  Do you have facebook? If you do you can add me. Laura Russell Pisano. I have a few breast cancer friends on there and its much easier to chat

Hi Dear.

I was also dxed with HER2 positive BC, and er/pr Negative. I also had 12 positive lymph nodes and a stage IIIC dx.

That was 8  years and 8 months ago!!! and I am perfectly well and enjoying every second of my life.

I know it's scary in the early days,  but you will be ok. Come here often for support and good information. The ladies here have all been through it and can help.

BELIEVE!

I will agree that you should do everything possible - surgery, Herceptin, radiation.  But it shouldn't stop there.  Nutrition is very very important.  There are a lot of good books on the subject - and a lot of controversies - but some things are agreed upon - like eating a lot of cruciferous vegetables - drinking green tea, and many others.  Exercise is also important.  Prioritizing yourself (hard to do with small children, admittedly) - taking the time to exercise and eat right.  Also reducing stress - stress is a killer on many levels.  The oncology profession can do many things, but you on your own can also do many things to prevent a recurrence and live a long and healthy life.

I am going on the tenth year since my diagnosis. Stage III, grade 3, ER+, Pr+, Her2+++. Herceptin is a wonder drug! It had just been approved for initial cancer treatment when I was in treatment. Previously, it was only approved for metastatic Her2 cancers. I'm sure Perjeta will be just as valuable, and the double whammy (Herceptin plus Perjeta) will be even greater. I don't know anything about when in your treatment it can be given, though -- perhaps more research will tell you & then you can bring it to your doctor.

At your age, you should hit this cancer will all you can. But I do think you have a great chance of living a long & happy life -- and seeing those children grow up into fine adults who will give you grandchildren!

Hope this gives you some hope.

mommy, I just read the Perjeta website and it hasn't yet been updated for the new FDA decision, so maybe that's what your Oncologist read.  Here is the FDA announcement.  You may want to share this with your oncologist.  http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnou…

If you were planning a mastectomy, it may not have been necessary to include Perjeta because the reason it was approved for neoadjuvent use is because of the high pCR (pathologically complete response) people got in the clinical trials, which makes people with larger tumors more eligible for breast conservation surgeries (lumpectomy).  Many people feel its better to do a mastectomy, so this treatment might have shrunk the tumor considerably neoadjuvently, but if you were planning a mastectomy anyway, it wouldn't really make that much difference at this point in its development.  I was hoping to avoid mastectomy, but was not a candidate with my current tumor size which extends almost 6 cm with the DCIS surrounding the primary 2.6 cm tumor, so this was the perfect combination for me.  

You're all correct about
Perjeta being used primarily in the neoadjuvant setting. In fact, after
surgery, it's still not standard practice to receive Perjeta in addition to
your year of (adjuvant) Herceptin. However, our Oncologist at MD Anderson recommended
that we take Perjeta as long as possible in combination with our year
of herceptin and we were lucky enough to have our insurance company approve it.
Like I said, it’s not the standard in the adjuvant setting but I would
recommend everyone ask their oncs about it. 

mommy13, you went a different
route for treatment which is totally fine. And I am in no means a doctor, but I
do believe your onc may not be up-to-date on his research. Of course because
you already had surgery, the important thing is your get Herception – which you
are. One thing you CAN still look into is the chemo regiment you will be receiving.
For us Her2’ers, the biggies being debated right now is TCH (Taxotere,
Carboplatin, Herceptin) vs ACH (Anthracycline-based
and Herceptin). The skinny on this is they have very similar results, meaning they
are both being very effective. However, TCH has been proven to be less toxic to
the body than AC (while producing the same results). So the standard practice
seems to be leaning towards TCH. This is something I would definitely talk to
your onc about and if he has you doing an AC regiment, I frankly would get a
second opinion. Though obviously you are an individual and AC very well may be
treatment in your case.